Mikhail Furtado was extremely worried about his 12th-grade exams .

A few days before he was due to get his results , his father walked in and found him dead .

`` I opened the cottage door , put the light on and I found him hanging . He was hanging , '' Anthony Furtado says .

When the results came out , his father learned that Mikhail had sailed through with good grades .

He says he still ca n't bring himself to go and collect the results .

But Furtado is trying to use his devastating experience to benefit others . He provides counseling and is a regular at suicide prevention workshops .

`` Sometimes , at the end , I do break down , '' he says .

Highest rate in the world among young

The scale of the problem among India 's young people is huge .

According to a recent World Health Organization report , India has the highest suicide rate in the world for the 15-to-29 age group . It stands at 35.5 per 100,000 people for 2012 , the last year for which numbers are available .

Across all age groups , nearly 260,000 people in India killed themselves that year .

Bobby Zachariah , who runs a suicide prevention group , says he blames a breakdown in India 's traditional family structure .

`` There were big families , there was a lot of support available , '' he says .

`` Nowadays , there is one child in the family , '' Zachariah says . `` And the kind of parenting styles that were applied to them when they were kids does n't apply to their children any more . ''

Reducing stigma

Some experts say a key problem is that families brush mental health issues under the carpet rather than facing them head on .

`` Mental illness is like any other illness and is treatable , '' says Dr. Arun John of the Vandrevala Foundation , which aims to help people with mental health issues and other problems .

This can only be tackled once greater awareness is created , he says , calling for the establishment of helplines .

The Indian government took a step toward reducing some of the stigma around suicide this week , making it no longer a crime to attempt it .

Officials were acting on a recommendation of a law commission report that said the desire to commit suicide should be seen as a condition needing treatment , not punishment .

But in a rapidly developing India , pressures remain high to get good grades and high-paying jobs .

`` Parents and schools do not make a child mentally and psychologically strong enough to handle pressure , '' John says . This leads to a `` feeling of worthlessness , '' he adds .

` I 'm so much better now '

One 20-year-old man in the city of Pune , near Mumbai , talked about reasons behind his brush with death .

The man , who declined to be identified , said he never fared well in school and had few friends .

He had problems with his girlfriend and felt his parents did n't understand him .

In his depression and desperation , he would cut himself , he said , showing the scars .

He attempted suicide but was saved by a timely medical intervention .

Nowadays , he gets counseling and enjoys playing the guitar .

He also counsels others .

`` It helps them to know I 've been there , '' he says . `` And that I 'm so much better now . ''

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Report : India has the highest suicide rate worldwide for ages 15 to 29

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A father recounts finding his son dead before exam results were due

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A suicide prevention worker says he blames a breakdown in family structures

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India this week made it no longer a crime to attempt suicide